The Mirage

I have been a fan of Matt Ruff's since his "Fool On The Hill". I've read everything he's written except for his latest "Lovecraft Country", and I will be reading that soon. That said, this book was a great reminder of what I love about his writing. This novel is the best I've read in a while. For me it was a page-turner, and I found myself having to tear myself away when I did put it down. There are way too few books I can say that about. "The Mirage", is strange, quirky, playful and damn well written.

Imagine a mirror world (alternate world) where the attack on 9/11, didn't happen... here. The attack was in Iraq at the twin towers, Tigris & Euphrates World Trade Towers. The whole history of this alternate world is radically changed even before WWII. The Arabian countries are the superpower and America is a collection of squabbling religious fiefdoms. This sounds implausible and yet, Matt Ruff is a writer of talent and he is able to pull it off.

The novel reads like a mystery and a spy thriller rolled into one. I recommend this to a certain reader that is able to think outside of the box. This will not be an easy read for those that cannot flow with the story. If you can allow the story to take you along, then I highly recommend this.